4-HOUR BODY EXPERIMENT (Days 1-7)

I read the 4-Hour Body over the weekend and am going to track my progress for the next 30 days to judge its efficacy. I'm just doing the diet stuff, not the work out part or "other" interesting part of the book - if you've read it you know what I mean.

Who needs a research grant when you can just use your own body!? I started out at 188.2 and 10.2% body fat (according to the machine at Hendrick Health Club). This time last year I was consistently below 180 and around 7.5% body fat...need to get back down in that range before Triathlon season really starts (May 15).

Day 1 - Sunday:

Didn't count this as the 4HB "cheat day" since I was just starting. And my "cheat day" will not include sweets or desserts since I'm going the entire year without processed sugar. It will just include a couple of larger meals and lots of fruit, dried fruit and nuts.

Woke at 630 AM drank 500ml of ice cold water. Had a 3-egg, spinach, cilantro, jalapeno omelet and a smoothie (carrot, celery, spinach, cinammon, 1/2 scoop whey protein, water, ice - it was actually much better than I anticipated).

Ice cold shower #1 - normal water temp to get soaked then turned the spout away from me and turned it all the way cold. Quickly returned to water's flow to rinse. Just about suffocated to death it was so cold. Eventually got used to it and stayed under the spray for about five minutes. Actually very refreshing.

Lunch was some free range chicken, chick peas and spinach. Dinner at Young Life leadership was chicken, sausage, cole slaw and potato salad (Sharon's BBQ). Drank 1.25 gallons of water today.

Really tough Crossfit WOD this afternoon. "Whitten" took me 40 minutes. Did it outside under the hot sun.

Took another ice cold shower before bed. Wasn't as bad as the first.

Day 2 - Monday:

Woke at 630 AM and drank 500ml of ice cold water. Took cold shower (getting a little easier and actually feel extremely refreshed post-shower...we'll see if it has any weight loss effect. Had free range chicken, chick peas and vegetable smoothie for breakfast (carrot, celery, spinach, protein, ice, water, cinnamon).

Lunch had to be quick: spinach salad with Honey Boy canned salmon, pickles, onions, carrots and chick peas on the side. The Honey Boy salmon is wild-caught Alaskan (same place I get my frozen filets from).

Got home a little after five and had a veggie smoothie: carrot, celery, 10 almonds, ice, water. Not good at all. Forced it down though.

Ran a 40:56 10K after Haelyn went down.

Cold shower after run.

Dinner was chick peas and sardines. Put chia seeds and a tiny squirt of mustard in bowl. Microwaved for about 60 seconds...not bad. Also had a can of mustard greens (only ingredients in can were mustard greens and water...no added salt or preservatives). Spiced it with pepper and red pepper flakes.

Had two celery sticks with two tbsp of cashew butter before bed.

Ended up drinking more than 1 gallon of water for the day.

Day 3 - Tuesday:

Woke at 5 AM. Drank 500ml ice cold water. Swam at the YMCA: 4x200 yard intervals with 30" rest periods. Cold shower at Y after swim. Starting to look forward to the ice showers.

Breakfast was the last of my chick peas with chia seeds sprinkled on top. About 2.5 ounces of steamed salmon (no spices or sauces), and a veggie smoothie: carrot, celery, spinach, dash of cinnamon, 2 tbsp whey protein, ice, water...pretty good). Also put a tsp of ground flax seeds in my smoothie. Lunch was 3 ounces steamed salmon, 1 cup red beans (cooked from the bag...no cans) with chia seeds sprinkled on top. Spinach salad with chopped onions, sliced pickles, carrots, ground flax seeds. Dinner at 5:45 PM was can of albacore tuna on top of spinach salad with onions, pickles, carrots. 1 cup of red beans with chia seeds on top. Went to work out at 8:00 PM, drank a smoothie before (carrot, celery, spinach, ice, water, 2 tbsp whey protein, dash cinnamon). Celery sticks with cashew butter (about 2 tbsp) at around 9 PM. Cold shower before bed. Talked to a friend of mine who had great results with PAGG. Going to Natural Food Store and/or Drug Emporium tomorrow to get the stuff to start Thursday.

Day 4 - Wednesday:

500 ml ice cold water as soon as I woke. Slept from 10:30 - 6 AM. Rest day since I'm going to work out on Sunday. Breakfast was 3.3 ounces of steamed salmon, 1 cup of red beans with chia seeds and veggie smoothie (carrot, celery, cinnamon, 1 tbsp whey protein, spinach, ice, 100ml water - those shakes don't need much water). Lunch was at Natural Food Center: spinach/romaine salad with radish, tomatoes, sprouts, guacamole, grilled chicken, and zucchini. Had a bit of Jenn's grass fed beef patty...pretty good. Went to Drug Emporium and found all ingredients of PAGG. Figured up the cost and it's cheaper (on a 20 day/month basis) to buy it here than to get it online). Snack around 5 PM was raw carrot and 5 almonds then a veggie smoothie (carrot, celery, 2 tbsp protein, ice, water, cinnamon). Dinner at 730 PM was 3 ounces salmon, 1c red beans with 1 tsp ground flax. Planning on a couple of celery stalks with 2 tbsp cashew butter at around 930 PM. About to take a cold shower. Will be second of the day (took one this morning). PAGG starts tomorrow.

Day 5 - Thursday: (Day 1 of PAGG) Woke at 530 AM. 500ml ice cold water. Rode indoor bike (2x5:2, 5x1:30")...kept heart rate at or above 160 for most of the working phases. Cold shower. Skipped the warm water part. Went straight to cold.

Took AGG little before 7. Breakfast was 3 ounces salmon, 1c red beans with chia, veggie smoothie (carrot, celery, spinach, ice, water, cinnamon, 1 tbsp protein). Was down to 182.9 this morning. Haven't been below 183 in a while.

Lunch at Sharon's - 4 ounces turkey, 1c pinto beans, salad, lots of jalapenos and pickles. Took AGG about 10 minutes before lunch.

Had a carrot at about 4 PM. Dinner was 1c lentils, package of honey boy alaskan salmon on top of spinach, carrots, celery, and 1.5 oz of avacado. AGG about 30 minutes before dinner.

CF WOD at 7:30 PM. Cold shower. Went straight into cold stream again...stayed in for 6.5 minutes. Night snack was 4 celery sticks with 2 tbsp cashew butter and 24 almonds. Took PAGG before bed. Drank more than a gallon of water today and have had at least 1 gallon of water every day of 4HB.

Day 6 - Friday:

Fell asleep on living room floor at 9:30 PM...didn't wake until 6:30 AM. Highly unusual for me. I get up or at least wake up a few times per night to pee or just turn over or something. Had vivid dreams the entire night. Couldn't believe it when I opened my eyes and it was 630. Weighed 183.9 this morning. Up a pound? Maybe yesterday was a false reading or something.

Took a cold shower, drank 500ml of ice water, and took AGG. Breakfast was 1c lentils, 2 eggs (with chopped cilantro), and a veggie smoothie (carrot, celery, spinach, 1 scoop protein, dash cinnamon, ice, water). 60 grams of protein in that breakfast.

Lunch was 3 oz chicken on a spinach salad with carrots, celery, flax seeds. 1c lentils with chia. Had a smoothie at around 5 PM (celery, carrot, whey protein, cinnamon). Dinner was spinach salad with celery, carrots, avacado, flax seeds, albacore tuna (small package), 1c lentils with chia. Cashew butter, celery and almonds as a snack. Took 2nd cold shower of the day prior to night snack. Took all prescribed AGG today but fell asleep before taking PAGG dose. 1 gallon of water. Worked at this evening, CF WOD "D.T."...

Day 7 - Saturday:

Woke at 5 AM. Weighed 182.5 this morning. Drank cold water - 500ml. Breakfast was lentils, spinach salad with carrots, celery, and some grass fed ground beef (3 oz).

Won the Kirk Goodwin 5K before teaching RPM at 9:30AM. Had a veggie smoothie post workout. Cold shower before noon. Lunch was lentils, ground beef, salad (all same stuff).

Dinner was a bowl of homemade guacamole and black beans. I ate the guacamole with celery. Had cashew butter, celery and almonds for snack. Took another cold shower before snack. PAGG as prescribed today and more than a gallon of water.